Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays - What are your Christmas Traditions?

If you are anything like me you are already burned out on the Holidays. One last night to go. I wonder what toys my wife bought that will require hours of assembly. But after some of my special eggnog, I won't mind. Let's just hope it's not a bike; or parts might start falling off tomorrow.

That's about what Christmas has become for me: working crazy hours, trying to fit in visits to Santa, trips to light displays. Not to mention figuring out what to buy for everyone in my extended family (there's more of us every year).

Still, I try to keep some Christmas traditions, not only for the kids, but also for myself. Tradition #1: Don't wake Dad up on the morning of Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning there's not much I can do to stop that. But today, I slept in until after 11a.m. Call it a little pre-Christmas gift to myself.

For the kids, they get to open one gift on Christmas Eve. It keeps them busy while I work on the most important Christmas tradition: getting that special eggnog mixed just right.

Do you have any Christmas traditions? Especially, any that are just for you?

My ebook, Monster in the Mirror, Compared to Coraline!

This great new cover was done by my
friend and fellow author, Ronnell D Porter 

I always feel a little awkward promoting my writing, but if I plan on doing this full time, I better get used to it.

I was having a pretty depressing day, with a bunch of Rejection e-mails (yes, with a capital R) from agents rolling in. But that all changed when I saw this post by Lesley over at the YA books Reviewed blog:

Guys, this short story is small and sweet. It's creepy and has a feel of Neil Gaiman's Coraline to it. That eerie, childlike innocence mixed in with horror and suspense. It's a great read, and I really enjoyed it.
The ebook also has (for a limited time) two short stories along with it. They aren't all horror, but they are fun as well.

Final Call:
This ebook is a great read. It's fast, fun, and a little freaky. And guys, it's free! Yep, FREE. Click here to download your copy!

Wow, that made my day! A little later I found out it's also on the bestseller list in the Apple iBookstore. It's #19 under Mysteries and Thrillers.

So take that, agents with your form rejections! Seriously, I'm sure the right agent for Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb is out there. I just have to find her.

The Secret Histories of Books & Finding Treasures

Whether you're a reader or writer, you know what a treasure reading can be. But what about finding actual treasures inside your books?

I was thrilled to find a mint, hardcover edition of The Graveyard
 Book, complete with dusk jacket. Imagine my surprise when I
discovered a long personal message scribbled on the inside.
Now if I could just decode this cryptic handwriting, I might
enjoy learning about the kids who gave and received this book.

I buy lots of my books used from Amazon or my local thrift store. Just last night, while reading Lois Sacher's Wayside School Gets A Little Strange, I stumbled upon an older sticker backing (you know, the wax paper that holds the sticker before you stick it). On it was scribbled a smiley face (with some boogers hanging from his nose). It made me smile to wonder just who that kid was and how long ago he put it there, apparently to mark his page.

I've found bookmarks, business cards, dedications (usually on books given as gifts), even a few author signatures in used books (I love those). To me, it's like uncovering buried treasure.

What's the best thing I've found in a book? I once found a note, folded over four-times, like it'd been clandesidly passed in class, by a Melissa proclaiming her love for Omar and his gorgeous brown eyes. That one not only made my day, but momentarily transported me back to my middle grade homeroom--what a gift.

I'm still waiting to find some cash in an old book--maybe a winning lottery ticket? What's the best thing you've ever found in a book--besides a new world or adventure?

Update: New title, thanks to 'Old Kitty'

Disposable eReaders Coming Soon?

Considering that most eReaders haven't dropped below the $100 mark--although I did manage to snag a $99 Nook as a gift for my favorite beta reader--I don't think we'll be seeing disposable eReaders anytime soon.
Still, this technology does sound promising and the article also discusses a major drawback to current generation readers (besides lack of color): slow refresh rates. The page turning on current models is just acceptable. It needs to improve by leaps and bounds before we see the types of moving images that Harry Potter made so famous. Then we can start worrying about bringing the cost down to the point where eReaders become disposable.

Sub $100 eReaders and Their Impact on Kidlit

Why the heck isn't this kid
actually reading his eBook?

This summer, I predicted $99 eReaders by Christmas. But when Nook went color instead of competing on price, I was worried that might not happen.

However, it does look like there will be $99, well $89 eReaders for the Holidays, if you're quick. Amazon has announced that it will be selling the Kindle 2 (older generation) for $89 on black Friday.

I was hoping that the Wifi only version of the Kindle 3 (currently $139) would get down to $99 before Christmas, but it doesn't look like that will happen. Though a small price drop isn't out of the question.

The reason I'm so eager to see $99 eReaders is that's the price point they need to get to before we start seeing these things trickle down to kids. Even best selling YA-Indie author Amanda Hocking says most of her readers are adults not teens. Once we start seeing phones with 4-5-inch screens and parents with extra eReaders to hand down, kidlit will be ready to join the world of eBooks. But it looks like we have a little while longer to wait.

Which Hook Do You Like-Which Should I Write

Since everyone was so helpful with polishing my query (and thanks for all the great input), I thought I'd ask for some feedback on which idea to work on for my next novel. I've had a bit of writer's block (for the first time ever), as I can't decide which story to go with. Here's the idea's I've been toying with:

1. Kids whose parents just brought a old movie theater have to deal with the ghosts (or monsters) from classic horror films before the customers begin to catch on. -This one I've been thinking about for a couple years, but still  it's probably the least developed.

2. A fatherless family moves into a big old house that turns out used to be a mortuary. The old graveyard it boarders should have been a clue. But the problems really start when someone starts summoning the ghouls. -This one is probably the most developed of the three. I have a step-sheet mostly laid out.

3. A vampire novel told from a male perspective. -This one is probably more Young-YA (say eighth grade M.C.'s), and I've already completed almost 1/2 of it. My plan was bang it out and release it as a Free eBook when when I finally get Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb published.
Except, I've ran into a roadblock and it requires some major rewriting. The main problem is, it might do fine if I release it as a free eBook, but pretty much no agent is looking at vampire novels right now. I think it'd purely have to be a promotional thing.

So, which one do you like? Which do you think has the most potential?

Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb Query

Update:
Thanks for all the great feedback. I felt it was only right to update this post with the final version of my query:

I've recently finished polishing my middle grade novel, SUPER ZOMBIE JUICE MEGA BOMB (34,000 words), which I hope might interest you. 

When life gives you lemons, kill zombies--turns out lemon juice neutralizes the undead.

After a failed attempt at running away, best friends Nathan and Misty return home expecting to face angry parents. Instead, they discover the military has destroyed the bridges out of their rural town and everyone's fled--except a small horde of the living dead. If zombie neighbors aren't bad enough, they soon discover a flock of 'flying dead' chickens.

Even with the help of the town geek and lemonade-powered Super-Soakers, there's not enough time to squeeze their way out of this sticky mess. Unless the trio eradicates the zombie infestation, while avoiding the deadly zombie snot, the military will blow the town, and them, to pulp.

Their only shot is something with a lot more punch. Something like the Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb. Just one problem: Someone has to lure the zombies into the trap.
I have worked as a technical writer and have had success writing and selling short stories for children. Included at the bottom of this e-mail are my first five pages. My complete manuscript is available on request. Thank you for your time and consideration.

---
I've been working on this on and off for 6 months or so (while polishing the novel). I'm starting the agent hunt before all the NaNo manuscripts hit next month. So I think, it's finally time to post it. Any feedback is welcome. I think it's ready to go, but I'm not above listening to suggestions.


After a failed attempt at running away, best friends Nathan and Misty return home expecting to face angry parents. Instead, they discover the military has destroyed the bridges out of their rural town and everyone's fled--except a small horde of the living dead.

If zombie neighbors aren't bad enough, there's the flock of 'flying dead' chickens, or even scarier, learning chemistry from their undead math teacher--and don't forget the deadly zombie snot.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Good advice: Turns out lemon juice neutralizes the undead. Even with the help of the town geek and lemonade-powered Super-Soakers, there's not enough time to squeeze their way out of this sticky mess. Unless the trio eradicates the zombie infestation, the military will blow the town, and them, to pulp.

Their only shot is something with a lot more punch. Something like the Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb. Just one problem: Someone has to lure the zombies into the trap.